Systems and methods for multi-modal sensing of depth in vision systems for automated surgical robots

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for multi-modal sensing of three-dimensional position information of the surface of an object are disclosed. In particular, multiple visualization modalities are each used to collect distinctive positional information of a surface of an object. Each of the computed positional information is combined using weighting factors to compute a final, weighted three-dimensional position. In various embodiments, a first depth may be recorded using fiducial markers, a second depth may be recorded using a structured light pattern, and a third depth may be recorded using a light-field camera. Weighting factors may be applied to each of the recorded depths and a final, weighted depth may be computed.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation application of InternationalApplication No. PCT/US2019/042647 filed on Jul. 19, 2019, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional patent Application No. 62/700,700 filed onJul. 19, 2018, which applications are incorporated herein by referencein their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to multi-modalsensing of three-dimensional position information of a surface of anobject.

SUMMARY

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, systems for, methodsfor, and computer program products for determining a three-dimensionalcoordinate on an object are provided. In the method, an image isrecorded. The image includes an object, a first plurality of markersdisposed on the object, a second plurality of markers disposed on theobject, and a third plurality of markers disposed on the object. A firstdepth is computed using the image and the first plurality of markers. Asecond depth is computed using the image and the second plurality ofmarkers. A third depth is computed using the image and the thirdplurality of markers. A first weight is assigned to the first depth, asecond weight is assigned to the second depth, and a third weight isassigned to the third depth. A weighted average depth is computed basedon the first depth, second depth, third depth, first weight, secondweight, and third weight.

In various embodiments, a system is provided for determining athree-dimensional coordinate on an object. The system includes animaging device and a computing node including a computer readablestorage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. Theprogram instructions are executable by a processor of the computing nodeto cause the processor to perform a method where an image is recorded bythe imaging device. The image includes an object, a first plurality ofmarkers disposed on the object, a second plurality of markers disposedon the object, and a third plurality of markers disposed on the object.A first depth is computed using the image and the first plurality ofmarkers. A second depth is computed using the image and the secondplurality of markers. A third depth is computed using the image and thethird plurality of markers. A first weight is assigned to the firstdepth, a second weight is assigned to the second depth, and a thirdweight is assigned to the third depth. A weighted average depth iscomputed based on the first depth, second depth, third depth, firstweight, second weight, and third weight.

In various embodiments, a computer program product is provided fordetermining a three-dimensional coordinate on an object. The computerprogram product includes a computer readable storage medium havingprogram instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions areexecutable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a methodwhere an image is recorded. The image includes an object, a firstplurality of markers disposed on the object, a second plurality ofmarkers disposed on the object, and a third plurality of markersdisposed on the object. A first depth is computed using the image andthe first plurality of markers. A second depth is computed using theimage and the second plurality of markers. A third depth is computedusing the image and the third plurality of markers. A first weight isassigned to the first depth, a second weight is assigned to the seconddepth, and a third weight is assigned to the third depth. A weightedaverage depth is computed based on the first depth, second depth, thirddepth, first weight, second weight, and third weight.

In various embodiments, systems for, methods for, and computer programproducts for determining a three-dimensional coordinate on an object areprovided. In the method, an image is recorded. The image includes anobject, a first plurality of markers disposed on the object, and asecond plurality of markers disposed on the object. A first depth iscomputed using the image and the first plurality of markers. A seconddepth is computed using the image and the second plurality of markers. Afirst weight is assigned to the first depth and a second weight isassigned to the second depth. A weighted average depth is computed basedon the first depth, second depth, first weight, and second weight.

In various embodiments, an integrated surgical device is providedincluding an endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end, animaging device optically coupled to the distal end of the endoscope, anda computing node comprising a computer readable storage medium havingprogram instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions areexecutable by a processor of the computing node to cause the processorto perform a method where an image is recorded. The image includes anobject, a first plurality of markers disposed on the object, a secondplurality of markers disposed on the object, and a third plurality ofmarkers disposed on the object. A first depth is computed using theimage and the first plurality of markers. A second depth is computedusing the image and the second plurality of markers. A third depth iscomputed using the image and the third plurality of markers. A firstweight is assigned to the first depth, a second weight is assigned tothe second depth, and a third weight is assigned to the third depth. Aweighted average depth is computed based on the first depth, seconddepth, third depth, first weight, second weight, and third weight.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary image of a surface having fiducialmarkers in which the image may be used as a baseline image according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary image of a surface having a matrix ofstructured light markers overlaying the baseline image according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary image of simulated biological tissueaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary image of a depth map of simulatedbiological tissue according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary image of simulated biological tissuehaving a contrast agent applied to the surface according to embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary image of a depth map of simulatedbiological tissue having a contrast agent applied to the surfaceaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a 3D surface imaging system imaging a tissueaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows a diagram illustrating a 3D surface imaging systemaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary flowchart of a method for determining athree-dimensional coordinate on an object according to embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows a table of analyzed sensors and their specificationsaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate graphs of the results of sensor bias according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate graphs of the results of sensor precisionaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 shows a table of lateral noise of various sensors according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate graphs of the precision ratios for differentmaterials and lighting conditions (lower is better) according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13A illustrates a graph of the precision and FIG. 13B illustrates agraph of nan ratios (lower is better) in multi sensor setups where theindices represent the distance to the target according to embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate graphs of the influence of additional sensorsaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 shows a schematic of an exemplary computing node according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The ability to accurately discern three-dimensional position information(X, Y, Z) of target objects (e.g., biological tissue) is a necessary andcritical requirement of an automated surgical robotic system. Oneapproach is to use fiducial markers of a known size and shape directlyattached to a surface of an object to determine positional informationabout the surface; however, spatial resolution of any method usingfiducial markers is limited to the number of fiducials applied to thetissue. Fiducial markers must be large enough for computer visionsystems to detect, but also small enough to maximize spatial resolutionof the surface to which they are attached. Because of these conflictingrequirements, there is an upper bound to the spatial resolution providedby fiducial markers, especially in surgical settings where automatedsurgical robot systems may be operating in small, confined spaces.

Many surgical maneuvers (e.g., suturing) require highly dexterous andhighly accurate motion of surgical tools to achieve a satisfactorysurgical outcome. In fully automated robotic surgical procedures havingno active human control, the accuracy of the surgical tools controlledby the robot is highly dependent on the spatial resolution of thecomputer vision system. Because surgical outcomes are heavily dependenton the positional accuracy of the computer vision systems guiding therobotic tools, spatial resolution of the surgical sites is even moreimportant in fully automated robotic surgical procedures. Solely usingfiducial markers to guide fully automate surgical robots does notprovide adequate spatial resolution of surgical sites to ensuresatisfactory outcomes.

Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method to accurately andreliably sense positional information with a high resolution whichenables accurate surgical planning and execution to improve enablerobotic-assisted surgery.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to multi-modalsensing of three-dimensional position information of a surface of anobject. In particular, the present disclosure describes multiplevisualization modalities used to collect distinctive positionalinformation of the surface of the object that is then combined usingweighting factors to compute a final three-dimensional position. Whilethe present disclosure generally focuses on sensing three-dimensionalposition with respect to automated surgical robots, the systems,methods, and computer program products are suitable for use in otherfields that employ computer vision techniques to identifythree-dimensional position, such as virtual reality or augmented realityapplications.

A system for determining a three-dimensional coordinate on a surface ofan object (e.g., a biological tissue) generally includes a first imagingsystem used to establish a baseline image of the object. The baselineimage may be established using, e.g., a series of fiducial markersaffixed to the surface of the object, to generate positional informationfor the surface of the object. For example, fiducial markers may beplaced on the surface of a tissue via a spray applicator (e.g., spraycatheter) In general, fiducial markers are special markers that may berecognized by a computer vision system to determine specific positioninformation about the surface to which they are affixed. Non-limitingexamples of fiducial markers may include symbols (e.g., alphanumeric),patterns (e.g., QR codes), liquid (e.g., infrared ink), or physicalshapes (2D or 3D). This position information may be used to map thesurface of the object and create a computer simulation of that surfacein three-dimensions. The fiducial markers may be affixed to the objectin a particular pattern (e.g., a grid pattern) or no particular pattern(e.g., randomized placement).

In various embodiments, the fiducial marker is applied to target tissuein a liquid state through a syringe needle. Applying a liquid marker totarget tissue has a number of advantages. First, the marker can be mixedonsite which improves the stability of the marker. Second, a liquidmarker allows the precise control over location and application totarget tissue. Third, the marker can be applied as any irregular shape.By applying a liquid marker with syringe, the irrigated surgical fieldcauses an exothermic reaction to solidify the marker in a circular shapeto target tissue. A circular marker may be beneficial for trackingsingle points of interest on target tissue during a surgical procedure.

In various embodiments, a marking tip such as a syringe needle or feltnib may be used to dispense the fiducial marker in a linear pattern. Byapplying the fiducial marker as a continuous line, one can use themarker to define boundaries on target tissue. Defining boundaries may beuseful to identify regions of diseased tissue or regions where asurgical procedure should not be performed. In yet another embodiment,the liquid marker may be sprayed onto the target tissue to create aspeckled pattern when polymerized. A speckled pattern may be of interestto define large regions of tissue from each other. In one example,background tissue may be speckled to distinguish it from foregroundtissue. Other components in robotic or semi-autonomous workflow may usebackground and foreground information to plan or control their motionsor suggestions.

In other embodiments, the liquid marker may be applied though apredefined mask to apply the marker in any arbitrary and predefinedshape on target tissue.

To acquire the position information of the surface of the object usingfiducial markers, the first imaging system may include one or morecameras (e.g., one, two, three, four, or five). In various embodiments,the one or more cameras may include a stereoscopic camera. In variousembodiments, the stereoscopic camera may be implemented by two separatecameras. In various embodiments, the two separate cameras may bedisposed at a predetermined distance from one another. In variousembodiments, the stereoscopic camera may be located at a distal-most endof a surgical instrument (e.g., laparoscope, endoscope, etc.). Thecamera(s) may cross-reference detected positions for each of thefiducial markers against a known reference (e.g., the known size andshape of the fiducial) to determine a positional information (e.g.,depth) for each of the fiducial markers. Positional information, as usedherein, may generally be defined as (X, Y, Z) in a three-dimensionalcoordinate system.

The one or more cameras may be, for example, infrared cameras, that emitinfrared radiation and detect the reflection of the emitted infraredradiation. In other embodiments, the one or more cameras may be digitalcameras as are known in the art. In other embodiments, the one or morecameras may be plenoptic cameras. The one or more cameras may beconnected to a computing node as described in more detail below.

The present disclosure improves on the single mode approaches employingsolely fiducial markers by also incorporating other visualizationmodalities in addition to fiducial marker tracking to improve theaccuracy of the resulting positional information. A second imagingsystem may be used to generate position information for the surface ofthe object either individually or in combination with the other imagingsystems described herein (e.g., after a baseline image is recorded usingthe first imaging system and positional information is acquired for eachof the fiducial markers). The structured pattern projected from thestructured light source may change shape, size, and/or spacing ofpattern features when projected on a surface. The second imaging systemmay detect these changes and determine positional information based onthe changes to the structured light pattern given a known pattern storedby the second imaging system. For example, the second imaging system mayinclude a structured light source (e.g., a projector) that projects aspecific structured pattern of lines (e.g., a matrix of dots or a seriesof stripes) onto the surface of the object. The pattern of linesproduces a line of illumination that appears distorted from otherperspectives than that of the source and these lines can be used forgeometric reconstruction of the surface shape, thus providing positionalinformation about the surface of the object.

The second imaging system may include one or more cameras (e.g., one,two, three, four, or five) capable of detecting the projected patternfrom the source of structured light. The one or more cameras may bedigital camera(s) as are known in the art and may be the same ordifferent camera(s) as used with the first imaging system. The one ormore cameras may be connected to a computing node as described in moredetail below. Using the images from the one or more cameras, thecomputing node may compute positional information (X, Y, Z) for anysuitable number of points along the surface of the object to therebygenerate a depth map of the surface.

A third imaging system may be used to generate additional positioninformation for the surface of the object. The third imaging system mayinclude one or more cameras, such as a light-field camera (e.g., aplenoptic camera), and may be the same or different camera(s) as thecamera(s) used for the first imaging system and the second imagingsystem. The plenoptic camera may be used to generate accurate positionalinformation for the surface of the object by having appropriate zoom andfocus depth settings.

One type of light-field (e.g., plenoptic) camera that may be usedaccording to the present disclosure uses an array of micro-lenses placedin front of an otherwise conventional image sensor to sense intensity,color, and directional information. Multi-camera arrays are another typeof light-field camera. The “standard plenoptic camera” is a standardizedmathematical model used by researchers to compare different types ofplenoptic (or light-field) cameras. By definition the “standardplenoptic camera” has micro lenses placed one focal length away from theimage plane of a sensor. Research has shown that its maximum baseline isconfined to the main lens entrance pupil size which proves to be smallcompared to stereoscopic setups. This implies that the “standardplenoptic camera” may be intended for close range applications as itexhibits increased depth resolution at very close distances that can bemetrically predicted based on the camera's parameters. Othertypes/orientations of plenoptic cameras may be used, such as focusedplenoptic cameras, coded aperture cameras, and/or stereo with plenopticcameras.

Once positional information is generated using the first imaging system,the second imaging system and the third imaging system, a combinedposition may be calculated by computing a weighted average of the threeimaging systems. As shown below in Equation 1, a combined pixel depthmay be calculated by a weighted average of the depth generated from eachof the three imaging systems.

$\begin{matrix}{{{pixel}\mspace{14mu}{depth}} = {{\frac{C_{M}}{C_{M} + C_{SL} + C_{P}}*{Depth}_{M}} + {\frac{C_{SL}}{C_{M} + C_{SL} + C_{P}}*{Depth}_{SL}} + {\frac{C_{P}}{C_{M} + C_{SL} + C_{P}}*{Depth}_{P}}}} & \left( {{Eqn}.\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)\end{matrix}$In Equation 1, C_(M) represents the weight assigned to the first imagingsystem (e.g., the marker-based system), C_(SL) represents the weightassigned to the second imaging system (e.g., the structured light-basedsystem), C_(P) represents the weight assigned to the third imagingsystem (e.g., the structured light-based system), Depth_(M) representsthe depth of the pixel generated from the first imaging system,Depth_(SL) represents the depth of the pixel generated from the secondimaging system, and Depth_(P) represents the depth of the pixelgenerated from the third imaging system. In various embodiments, each ofthe weights may be a value between zero (0) and one (1), and the sum ofall weight values may add up to unity (1).

In various embodiments, the weight C_(M) assigned to the first imagingsystem may be equal to the weight C_(SL) assigned to the second imagingsystem and the weight C_(P) assigned to the third imaging system. Inother embodiments, the weight C_(SL) assigned to the second imagingsystem is greater than the weight C_(M) assigned to the first imagingsystem and/or the weight C_(P) assigned to the third imaging system. Inyet another embodiment, the weight C_(P) assigned to the third imagingsystem is greater than the weight C_(M) assigned to the first imagingsystem and/or the weight C_(SL) assigned to the second imaging system.

In various embodiments, weight for each variable in Equation 1 may bedetermined based on one or more factors selected based on the type ofimaging system(s) used. For example, if light field imaging is used,factors may include: (1) amount of contrast in the image, (2) number ofsaturated pixels (which may be used to measure light intensity), and (3)localized change in depth of a specific area of the image. A high weightvalue may correspond to an image having high contrast within a scene,little to no saturated pixels, and low local change in depth.

In another example, if structured light imaging is used, factors mayinclude: (1) amount of pattern recognized and (2) number of saturatedpixels. A high weight value may correspond to an image having most orall of a pattern recognized and little to no saturated pixels.

In yet another example, if fiducial markers are used, factors mayinclude (1) number of saturated pixels, (2) ability to recognize theshape/size of fiducial marker(s), and (3) ability to discern thefiducial marker(s) from the surrounding environment. A high weight valuemay correspond to an image having little to no saturated pixels, abilityto recognize most or all of the fiducial markers, and the ability todiscern the fiducials from the surrounding environment.

In various embodiments, any combination of two imaging modalitiesdescribed herein may be used to compute first and second depths of asurface of an object. In this embodiment, each of the two imagingmodalities may have a respective weighting factor that is applied to thedepth determined by that particular modality. In various embodiments,the two weighting factors may add up to unity. In various embodiments,the pixel depth function is computed in a similar manner to thatdescribed above in Equation 1, but in contrast, the pixel depth for twomodalities is dependent on only two weighted depth computations (insteadof three).

In various embodiments, the weights associated with each imaging systemmay be dependent on the overall quality of the particular imagingsystem. For example, one particular imaging system may provide moreaccurate data overall than another imaging system. In this example, thedata received the imaging system with the higher accuracy would be givena higher weight than the data received from the imaging system with thelower accuracy. In various embodiments, the accuracy and/or precision ofvarious imaging systems may be dependent on the distance away from theobject to be imaged, the material being imaged, and/or the lighting ofthe operating environment. In various embodiments, the accuracy and/orprecision of various imaging systems may be dependent on a location inthe field of view of the imaging system—for example a first imagingsystem may have high accuracy at the center of the field of view with arapid decline towards the edges, while another imaging system may have aconsistent accuracy across the field of view.

A discussion of how various sensors perform in different situations canbe found in “An Empirical Evaluation of Ten Depth Cameras” byHalmetschlager-Funek et al., which is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety. FIG. 8 shows a table of analyzed sensors in theHalmetschlager-Funek paper. FIGS. 9-14 illustrate various graphs fromthe Halmetschlager-Funek paper regarding the bias, precision, lateralnoise, effects of materials/lighting/distance, and effects of additionalsensors. In particular, regarding bias (shown in FIGS. 9A-9C), the paperdescribes that while the Kinectv2 offers low bias over the whole range,a significant increase of the bias for sensors using structured lightwas observed starting from d>3 m. While all three structured lightsensors and the two active stereo cameras (ZR300 and D435) offer a lowerbias than the Kinectv2 for distances d<1 m, three sensors (ZR300,Orbbec, and Structure IO) offer an even lower bias for depth valuesd<2.5 m. A quadratic increase of the bias was observed for all sensors[full range: d=0-8 m, FIG. 9A; zoom in: d=0-3 m, FIG. 9B]. Thenear-range sensors, F200 and SR300 [FIG. 9C], show a slightly higherbias than their far-range counterparts, while the Ensenso N35 provides alow bias over the whole measurement range.

As for precision (as shown in FIGS. 10A-10C), a quadratic decrease ofprecision was found in all far-range sensors [full range: d=0-8 m, FIG.10A; zoom in: d=0-3, m, FIG. 10B], but the structured light sensorsdiffer in scale compared to the Kinectv2. Overall, the R200 and ZR300sensors have the worst performance, while the Structure IO and Orbbecsensors perform very similarly. At distances d<2 m, all structured lightsensors were observed to generate less noisy measurements than theKinec-tv2. Moreover, the D435 was able to gather more precise resultsthan the Kinectv2 at distances d<1 m. The precision results for the D435were observed to be more scattered than for the other sensors. Thenear-range sensors [FIG. 10C] experience noise levels up to 0.0007 m. Inthe ranges specified by the manufacturers, precision values under 0.004m were able to be obtained.

As for lateral noise (FIG. 11), the analysis of lateral noise showssimilar results for the three far-range structured light sensors anddistances. For d<3 m, the noise level was independent of the distance,with three pixels for the structured light sensors and one for theKinectv2 (FIG. 11). Two active stereo sensors (D435 and ZR300) offer alow lateral noise level similar to that of the Kinectv2. The R200achieves a lower lateral noise of two pixels for distances closer than 2m. In the near-range sensor, the Ensenso N35 achieves the highestlateral noise value.

As for materials/lighting/distance (FIGS. 12A-12D), a total of 384 datapoints were gathered to determine how the sensors' precision wasinfluenced by the reflection and absorption properties of six differentmaterials in combination with four different lighting conditions from4.2 to 535.75 lux (FIGS. 12A-12D). The tests reveal that the StructureIO sensor best handles the varying object reflectances and lightingconditions. Although it has a lower precision compared to the othersensors for distances of d>1.5 m, it was able to gather information forhigh-reflective surfaces, such as aluminum, and under bright lightingconditions. While the Structure IO sensor gives a dense depthestimation, the Xtion was not able to determine a depth value. TheOrbbec may fail to gather depth information for four of the six surfacesunder bright lighting conditions. The Kinectv2 may fails to gatherreliable depth data for aluminum at distances of d=1 m and d=1.5 m andunder bright lighting conditions. The F200 and SR300 sensors may have asignificantly lower precision for bright lighting conditions. During thesetup of the experiments, the active stereo cameras (Ensenso and R200)were expected to be able to handle different lighting conditions betterthan the structured light sensors due to the nature of their technology.In FIGS. 12A-12D, a precision of zero indicates that the sensor is notable to gather any depth information.

As for noise induced by additional sensors (FIGS. 13A, 13B, and14A-14C), the results (FIGS. 13A-13B) reveal that the far-rangestructured light sensors can handle noise induced by one and twoadditional sensors. An exception occurs when the distance to the targetis d=1.5 m and two additional sensors are introduced to the scene. Asimilar effect was not observed for the Kinectv2. The sensor may givestable results for precision independent of one or two additionalsensors. The near-range sensors F200 and SR300 may be less precise withan additional sensor, and the Ensenso N35 is only slightly affected by athird observing sensor. At this point, we note that the high nan ratiofor the close-range devices can be partially derived from our setup.Half of the scene is out of the sensor's range (FIGS. 14A-14C). Tosummarize, the first experiment with one sensor provides a baseline forthe measurements with two and three sensors observing the scene. Thefirst differences may be visible if only one sensor is added. Inparticular, the SR300 and F200 sensors may have a significant increasein the nan ratio if another Realsense device is added to the scene. Fora closer analysis, the corresponding depth images are shown. In FIGS.14A-14C, it is clear that the depth extraction is heavily influenced byan additional sensor. The Ensenso and Kinectv2 sensors may be unaffectedby the additional sensors.

In various embodiments, as described above, depth data received from oneor more cameras may be higher quality (e.g., more reliable) than depthdata from other cameras in the imaging system. In various embodiments,the quality of the depth data may be dependent on supporting featuresthat are external to the imaging system. For example, depth data may behigher quality and therefore given a higher weight when a camera (e.g.,infrared camera) can clearly read a predetermined number of fiducialmarkers on a tissue. In various embodiments, if the camera cannot readthe predetermined number of markers, the depth data may be of a lowerquality and therefore depth data from the camera may be given a lowerweight. In a similar example, when a camera can clearly read astructured light pattern from a structured light projector, the depthdata resulting from the structured light may be a higher quality andtherefore given a higher weight.

In various embodiments, the weights associated with each imaging systemmay be dependent on the confidence of the depth and/or the quality ofeach pixel. In various embodiments, because some imaging systems haveone or more “sweet-spot” in an image with higher quality image data andone or more “dead-zone” with lower quality image data, each of theweights associated with the imaging system(s) may be parameterized atthe pixel-level of an image. In various embodiments, one or more (e.g.,all) of the weights may be a function of 2-dimensional points (x, y)representing pixels in an image. In various embodiments, pixels in animage may be assigned coordinate points in any suitable way as is knownin the art. For example, the bottom left corner of an image may beassigned a coordinate of (0, 0) and the top right corner of the imagemay be assigned the maximum number of pixels in each respective axis(max x pixels, max y pixels). In an example, one imaging system (e.g.,stereoscopic camera) may have high-quality image data in the center ofan image and low-quality image data on the periphery. In this particularexample, a higher weight may be assigned to pixels in the center of theimage and the weight may decrease as the pixels move radially away fromthe center of the image. In various embodiments, the parametric functionmay be a continuous function. In various embodiments, the parametricfunction may be a discontinuous function (e.g., piece-wise function). Invarious embodiments, the parametric function may include a linearfunction. In various embodiments, the parametric function may include anexponential function.

In various embodiments, when an imaging system cannot compute a depth ata particular pixel, that particular pixel may be assigned a weight ofzero for the particular imaging system (i.e., the particular imagingsystem will not contribute to the determination of depth at thatparticular pixel).

In various embodiments, the imaging system may include stereoscopicdepth sensing. In various embodiments, stereoscopic depth sensing maywork best when there are one or more uniquely identifiable features inan image (or video frame). In various embodiments, stereoscopic depthsensing may be performed using two cameras (e.g., digital cameras). Invarious embodiments, the cameras may be calibrated with one another. Forexample, the imaging system may be calibrated based on latency, framerate, three-dimensional distance between the two cameras, variousdistances away from the imaging system, various lighting levels, markertypes/shapes/colors, etc. In various embodiments, software known in theart may be used to control the two cameras and implement stereoscopicdepth sensing. In various embodiments, a first image (or frame of avideo) is captured at a first camera and a second image (or frame of avideo) is captured at a second camera that is located at a predetermineddistance away from the first camera. In various embodiments, a pixeldisparity is computed between the first image (or frame of a video) andthe second image (or frame of a video). In various embodiments, a depthmay be determined from the pixel disparity value. In variousembodiments, closer objects have a higher pixel disparity value andfurther objects have a lower pixel disparity value. In variousembodiments, three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z) may be computedfrom the determined depth and the camera calibration parameters. Invarious embodiments, stereoscopic depth sensing may be used withfiducial markers to determine depth.

In various embodiments, the imaging system may include activestereoscopic depth sensing. In various embodiments, a projector mayproject a pattern that is unique on a local scale. In variousembodiments, any suitable pattern may be used and the pattern does nothave to be known to the imaging system in advance. In variousembodiments, the pattern may change over time. In various embodiments,active stereoscopic depth sensing with a projector may provide depthinformation for featureless images in unstructured environments.

In various embodiments, a static mask may be projected onto a surface ofan object (e.g., a tissue) in a scene. For example, a physical pattern(e.g., wire mesh) may be positioned in front of a source of light andlenses may be used to focus the light pattern onto the surface.

In various embodiments, a digital micromirror (DMD) projector may beused to project a pattern on the surface of the object. In thisembodiment, light shines onto an array of micromirrors (e.g., 1,000,000mirrors arranged in a rectangle). The mirrors may be controlled toeither allow or prevent the light from entering and illuminating thescene. Lenses may be used to focus the light pattern onto the scene. Invarious embodiments, the DMD projector may allow for programmablepatterns (e.g., QR code, letter, circle, square, etc.). It will beappreciated that a similar effect may be obtained using opticalmetasurfaces in place of a DMD.

In various embodiments, a scanned laser projector may be used to projecta pattern on the surface of the object. In this embodiments, one or morelaser sources are used to project a single pixel on the surface. A highdefinition image may be created by shining one pixel at a time at a highfrequency. In various embodiments, focusing of a pattern may not berequired with a scanned laser projector. In various embodiments, thescanned laser projector may allow for programmable patterns (e.g., QRcode, letter, circle, square, etc.).

In various embodiments, custom algorithms may be developed for thestereoscopic camera to detect the known programmable pattern and todetermine depth data from a surface onto which the pattern is projected.In various embodiments, the depth data is computed by determining adisparity value between a first image (or video frame) from the firstcamera and a second image (or video frame) from the second camera.

In various embodiments, a predetermined wavelength of light may beprojected onto a surface of an object depending on the material of thesurface. Different materials may have different absorption and/orreflectance properties across a continuum of wavelengths of light. Invarious embodiments, a wavelength is selected such that light reflectsoff of the outer-most surface of the object. In various embodiments, ifa wavelength of light is selected that penetrates the surface of theobject, the resulting image may have a washed out appearance resultingin inaccurate depth data (e.g., lower accuracy, high spatiotemporalnoise).

In various embodiments, the imaging system may include aninterferometer. In various embodiments, a light source may illuminate ascene with an object and a sensor may measure the phase differencebetween the emitted and reflected light. In various embodiments, depthmay be computed directly from the sensor measurement. In variousembodiments, this approach may have low computational resourcerequirements, faster processing, work on featureless scenes, and/or workat various illumination levels.

In various embodiments, the resulting depth map including the computeddepths at each pixel may be post-processed. Depth map post-processingrefers to processing of the depth map such that it is useable for aspecific application. In various embodiments, depth map post-processingmay include accuracy improvement. In various embodiments, depth mappost-processing may be used to speed up performance and/or for aestheticreasons. Many specialized post-processing techniques exist that aresuitable for use with the systems and methods of the present disclosure.For example, if the imaging device/sensor is run at a higher resolutionthan is technically necessary for the application, sub-sampling of thedepth map may decrease the size of the depth map, leading to throughputimprovement and shorter processing times. In various embodiments,subsampling may be biased. For example, subsampling may be biased toremove the depth pixels that lack a depth value (e.g., not capable ofbeing calculated and/or having a value of zero). In various embodiments,spatial filtering (e.g., smoothing) can be used to decrease the noise ina single depth frame, which may include simple spatial averaging as wellas non-linear edge-preserving techniques. In various embodiments,temporal filtering may be performed to decrease temporal depth noiseusing data from multiple frames. In various embodiments, a simple ortime-biased average may be employed. In various embodiments, holes inthe depth map can be filled in, for example, when the pixel shows adepth value inconsistently. In various embodiments, temporal variationsin the signal (e.g., motion in the scene) may lead to blur and mayrequire processing to decrease and/or remove the blur. In variousembodiments, some applications may require a depth value present atevery pixel. For such situations, when accuracy is not highly valued,post processing techniques may be used to extrapolate the depth map toevery pixel. In various embodiments, the extrapolation may be performedwith any suitable form of extrapolation (e.g., linear, exponential,logarithmic, etc.).

In various embodiments, the first imaging system, the second imagingsystem, and the third imaging system use the same one or more cameras(e.g., plenoptic cameras) connected to a computing node. The computingnode may process a single recorded image to extract the fiducialmarkers, the structure light pattern, and the light-field data asseparate components. Each of the separate components may be used tocompute positional information (e.g., a depth map) of a surface of theobject. Weighting factors may be applied to each of the computedpositional information to compute a weighted average depth.

In various embodiments, systems can use any combination of theabove-mentioned imaging modalities/systems to determine positionalinformation about the surface of a tissue. In various embodiments, thesystems may determine that a weight value in Equation 1 is zero (0). Inthis case, a system uses multiple imaging modalities/systems to acquirepositional data, but determines at least one of those imagingmodalities/systems does not provide reliable positional data and thusdisregards the particular imaging modality/system(s) that does notprovide reliable data when applying Equation 1.

In some embodiments, a stereoscopic camera may be used as an imagingsystem either by itself or in combination with any of theabove-mentioned imaging systems.

The object from which positional information is obtained may be anysuitable biological tissue. For example, the object may be an internalbodily tissue, such as esophageal tissue, stomach tissue, small/largeintestinal tissue, and/or muscular tissue. In other embodiments, theobject may be external tissue, such as dermal tissue on the abdomen,back, arm, leg, or any other external body part. Moreover, the objectmay be a bone, internal organ, or other internal bodily structure. Thesystems and method of the present disclosure would similarly work foranimals in veterinary applications.

In various embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may beused in any suitable application, such as, for example, diagnosticapplications and/or surgical applications. As an example of a diagnosticapplication, the systems and methods described herein may be used incolonoscopy to image a polyp in the gastrointestinal tract and determinedimensions of the polyp. Information such as the dimensions of the polypmay be used by healthcare professionals to determine a treatment planfor a patient (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, further testing, etc.). Inanother example, the systems and methods described herein may be used tomeasure the size of an incision or hole when extracting a part of orwhole internal organ. As an example of a surgical application, thesystems and methods described herein may be used in handheld surgicalapplications, such as, for example, handheld laparoscopic surgery,handheld endoscopic procedures, and/or any other suitable surgicalapplications where imaging and depth sensing may be necessary. Invarious embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may beused to compute the depth of a surgical field, including tissue, organs,thread, and/or any instruments. In various embodiments, the systems andmethods described herein may be capable of making measurements inabsolute units (e.g., millimeters).

Various embodiments may be adapted for use in gastrointestinal (GI)catheters, such as an endoscope. In particular, the endoscope mayinclude an atomized sprayer, an IR source, a camera system and optics, arobotic arm, and an image processor.

In various embodiments, a contrast agent may be applied to the surfaceof the object, such as the surface of a biological tissue, to providecontrast to the surface of which three-dimensional positionalinformation is to be generated by a computer vision system. When usingsome visualization modalities where precision is directly proportionalto contrast and texture (e.g., light-field imaging), the contrast agentmay be utilized to provide contrast to the surface. In variousembodiments, where soft tissue is being imaged, the surface may besubstantially uniform in color and have very little texture. In thiscase, a contrast agent, such as an atomized dye that adheres to thetissue (e.g., the serous membrane), may be applied to the tissue. Thedye may be fluoresced and provide an artificial contrast to greatlyimprove the level of precision in the light-field imaging system.

When contrast is used on the surface of the tissue, a calibration may beobtained prior to the application of the contrast agent to determinedepth information.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary image 100 of a surface 102 havingfiducial markers 104 in which the image may be used as a baseline image.In FIG. 1, fiducial markers 104 are provided on the surface 102 in theform of liquid markers. The fiducial markers 104 are painted in a matrixformat such that a computer vision system running on a computing nodecan recognize the fiducial markers 104 and compute a three dimensionalsurface from the image. The computer vision system may include one ormore cameras that record images of the object and provide the images tothe computing node running computer vision software.

In various embodiments, the computer vision system generatesthree-dimensional position information (X, Y, Z) for each of thefiducial markers 104. The computer vision system may further interpolatepositional information between the fiducial markers 104 or mayextrapolate to generate a three-dimensional model of the surface 102 ofthe object.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary image 200 of a surface 202 having amatrix of structured light markers 206 overlaying the baseline image 100of FIG. 1. The matrix of structured light markers 206 are in the form ofa grid of dots. The structured light markers 206 are projected onto thesurface 202 of the object from a source of structured light (e.g., alaser) such that a computer vision system running on a computing nodecan recognize the structured light markers 206 and compute a threedimensional surface from the image. The computer vision system mayinclude one or more cameras that record images of the structured lightmarkers 206 projected onto the object and provide the images to thecomputing node running computer vision software. The computer visionsoftware may analyze the structured light markers 206 from images takenat different visual angles and perform geometric reconstruction togenerate positional information of the surface 202. As shown in FIG. 2,the matrix of structured light markers 206 has more markers projectedonto the surface 202 than the fiducial markers 104 shown in FIG. 1.Thus, three-dimensional positional information will be more accurateusing the structured light markers 206 as there are more data pointsfrom which the computer vision software can generate thethree-dimensional model of the surface 202.

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary image of simulated biological tissue310 while FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary image of a depth map 315 ofthe same simulated biological tissue 310. As shown in FIG. 3A, thesimulated biological tissue 310 (e.g., a serous membrane) issubstantially uniform in color, is not textured, and has no artificialmarkers. The depth map 315 shown in FIG. 3B represents a depth mapproduced by light-field imaging of the simulated tissue 310. As shown inFIG. 3B, the depth map 315 has very little to no depth data in areas oflittle contrast—namely, the areas of the tissue 310 away from the edges.Depth data exists at the edges because of the contrast between thesimulated tissue 310 and the background.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary image of simulated biological tissue410 having a contrast agent applied to the surface while FIG. 4Billustrates an exemplary image of a depth map 415 of the same simulatedbiological tissue 410 having the contrast agent. As shown in FIG. 4A, acontrast agent (e.g., an atomized blue dye) is applied to the simulatedbiological tissue 410 (e.g., a serous membrane). The depth map 415 shownin FIG. 4B represents a depth map produced by light-field imaging of thesimulated tissue 410 having the contrast agent. As shown in FIG. 4B, thedepth map 415 has much more data than the depth map 315 shown in FIG. 3Bbecause of the contrast agent applied to the surface of the tissue.Based on the depth map 415, a computer vision system would recognizethat the tissue 410 has a curved surface.

FIG. 5 illustrates a 3D surface imaging system 500 imaging a tissueaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure. The imaging system500 includes an endoscope 520 having cameras 521 a, 521 b that, whenused together, generate stereoscopic images of a tissue 502 (e.g.,stomach). In various embodiments, the endoscope 520 may optionally, oradditionally, include an infrared camera. The tissue 502 has fiducialmarkers 504 disposed thereon such that a camera (e.g., infrared camera)can detect the markers 504 against the background of the tissue 502. Invarious embodiments, the imaging system 500 further includes a projector522. In various embodiments, the projector 522 may be configured toproject structured light 506 (e.g., a dot pattern) onto the tissue 502.In various embodiments, the projector is configured to project infraredlight. The imaging system 500 further includes a light-field (e.g.,plenoptic) camera 524. In various embodiments, the tissue 502 may besprayed with a contrast liquid as described above to allow the imagingsystem 500 to determine depth of the tissue 502.

FIG. 6 shows a diagram illustrating a 3D surface imaging system. Thesystem combines three visualization modalities to improve the 3D imagingresolution. The system includes a camera system that can be moved by arobotic arm. For each of the visualization modalities, the camera systemcaptures images of target tissue through a light guide in an endoscopeand an optics mechanism. The images are processed by an image processorto determine a virtually constructed 3D surface.

In one visualization modality, the camera system includes a light-field(e.g, plenoptic) camera for capturing a plenoptic image of the targettissue. The image processor uses standard techniques to determine 3Dsurface variation and shape from the plenoptic image.

In a second visualization modality, the system uses an IR (infrared)source/projector for generating an IR spot pattern, which is projectedon the target tissue via the optics mechanism and a light guide in theendoscope. The spot pattern can be predefined or random. The camerasystem includes an IR sensor that captures an image of the IR spots onthe target tissue. The image is transmitted to the image processor,which detects distortions in the spot pattern projected on the targettissue to determine 3D surface variation and shape.

In a third visualization modality, the system uses an atomizer/sprayerin the endoscope to apply an atomized liquid dye to selected areas ofthe target tissue to increase the number of fiducial spots. The atomizeddye adheres to the target tissue in a random spot pattern with a higherspot concentration than the IR spot pattern. The dye can be fluorescedto provide an augmented contrast with the tissue to improve precision ofthe imaging system.

The image processor determines which visualization modality data is mostappropriate in a given situation, and combines the data whereappropriate to further improve the 3D imaging resolution. The data canbe combined using a weighting algorithm. The system thereby accuratelyand reliably senses depth with a high resolution, which is needed foraccurate robotic surgical planning and execution.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart 700 of a method for determining athree-dimensional coordinate on an object. At 702, the method includesrecording an image, the image comprising an object, a first plurality ofmarkers disposed on the object, a second plurality of markers disposedon the object, and a third plurality of markers disposed on the object.At 704, the method includes computing a first depth using the image andthe first plurality of markers. At 706, the method includes computing asecond depth using the image and the second plurality of markers. At708, the method includes computing a third depth using the image and thethird plurality of markers. At 710, the method includes assigning afirst weight to the first depth, a second weight to the second depth,and a third weight to the third depth. At 712, the method includescomputing a weighted average depth based on the first depth, seconddepth, third depth, first weight, second weight, and third weight.

Referring now to FIG. 15, a schematic of an exemplary computing node isshown that may be used with the computer vision systems describedherein. Computing node 10 is only one example of a suitable computingnode and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope ofuse or functionality of embodiments described herein. Regardless,computing node 10 is capable of being implemented and/or performing anyof the functionality set forth hereinabove.

In computing node 10 there is a computer system/server 12, which isoperational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with computer system/server 12 include, but are notlimited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thinclients, thick clients, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmableconsumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframecomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments thatinclude any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 12 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 12 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 15, computer system/server 12 in computing node 10 isshown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The componentsof computer system/server 12 may include, but are not limited to, one ormore processors or processing units 16, a system memory 28, and a bus 18coupling various system components including system memory 28 toprocessor 16.

Bus 18 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures,including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, anaccelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of avariety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation,such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus,Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, VideoElectronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 12 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 12, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

System memory 28 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and/or cachememory 32. Computer system/server 12 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 34 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 18 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the disclosure.

Program/utility 40, having a set (at least one) of program modules 42,may be stored in memory 28 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 42 generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments described herein.

Computer system/server 12 may also communicate with one or more externaldevices 14 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 24, etc.;one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computersystem/server 12; and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.)that enable computer system/server 12 to communicate with one or moreother computing devices. Such communication can occur via Input/Output(I/O) interfaces 22. Still yet, computer system/server 12 cancommunicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted, network adapter 20communicates with the other components of computer system/server 12 viabus 18. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 12. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

In other embodiments, the computer system/server may be connected to oneor more cameras (e.g., digital cameras, light-field cameras) or otherimaging/sensing devices (e.g., infrared cameras or sensors).

The present disclosure includes a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent disclosure.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present disclosure may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In various embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present disclosure.

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of thedisclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In various alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosurehave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of depth sensing, comprising: (a)recording one or more images of an object in a surgical scene, whereinthe one or more images comprise a plurality of markers on the object;(b) computing aa first depth using the one or more images and a firstset of markers of the plurality of markers, (ii) a second depth usingthe one or more images and a second set of markers of the plurality ofmarkers, and (iii) a third depth using a third set of markers of theplurality of markers; (c) assigning (i) first weight to the first depth,(ii) a second weight to the second depth, and (iii) a third weight tothe third depth; and (d) computing a weighted average depth of one ormore portions of the object based at least in part on the first depth,the first weight, the second depth, the second weight, the third depth,and the third weight.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) comprisesusing one or more imaging devices to record the one or more images. 3.The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more imaging devices comprisea stereoscopic camera, an infrared camera, a light-field camera, aplenoptic camera, or a structured light detection unit.
 4. The method ofclaim 2, wherein the one or more imaging devices comprise differenttypes of imaging devices.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein at least oneof the first weight and the second weight corresponds to an accuracy ora precision of the one or more imaging devices.
 6. The method of claim1, wherein the first set of markers comprise one or more fiducialmarkers.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more fiducialmarkers comprise a liquid ink applied to the object.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the second set of markers comprise one or more opticalmarkers.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein (a) further comprises: (i)projecting a structured light pattern comprising the one or more opticalmarkers on a surface of the object and (ii) recording the structuredlight pattern projected on the surface of the object.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising: using at least a portion of the projectedstructured light pattern to compute a geometric reconstruction of thesurface of the object.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:(i) recording a first image of the object using a first camera and asecond image of the object using a second camera that is spaced apartfrom the first camera, (ii) computing a disparity value between thefirst image and the second image, and (iii) using the disparity value tocompute or update a depth of the one or more portions of the object. 12.The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first weight and thesecond weight is parameterized at a pixel-level for the one or moreimages.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the firstweight and the second weight is parameterized using a parametricfunction, wherein the parametric function comprises a continuousfunction, a discontinuous function, a piece-wise function, a linearfunction, or an exponential function.
 14. The method of claim 1, whereinthe third weight is greater than or equal to the first weight or thesecond weight.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second weight isgreater than or equal to the first weight or the third weight.
 16. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first weight is greater than or equal tothe second weight or the third weight.
 17. The method of claim 1,wherein the plurality of markers comprise a contrast agent applied to asurface of the object.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contrastagent comprises an atomized dye.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein theobject comprises a biological material, a tissue, an organ, an internalbodily structure, or an external bodily structure.
 20. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first depth, the second depth, or the third depthis computed by cross-referencing one or more detected positions for eachof the first, second, and third set of markers against a knownreference, wherein the known reference comprises a known size or a knownshape.